By Taylor Sutton, MS, RDN, LD
Football is back and in full swing! Which then cues us for all things mindful and healthy tailgate for food, beverage, and snack options. A quick search on the internet tells us a lot about consumer habits during the season and people are always looking for nutritious alternatives to their favorite things even though those comfort foods still have a place next to them.
The next time you get people together for a game try these nutritious football snack ideas that taste just as good as your classic over-the-top game day eats.
Add more veggies! Grilling or roasting produce gives veggies a punch up in flavor and are sure to be a hit whether it’s buffalo cauliflower or sweet potato nachos. Adding avocado adds a creamy texture, more fiber, and loads of flavor. Bring the salad as it helps lighten up most of the heavier meat dishes. Bring a traditional veggie tray since it’s classic and everyone from little kids to adults can grab exactly what they want. Another simple way to add in more produce is by having walking nachos on the menu. It makes food portable, and easy to pack as many veggies and additional fun toppings as you like. While herbs aren’t technically a vegetable, basil, cilantro and any other herb add nutrients and are big flavor boosters.
Add Greek yogurt or cottage cheese! These two ingredients are household staples, and can easily be added to both sweet and savory dishes to increase protein and create a creamy texture. We’re talking about everything from dips to sauces to marinades to crockpot meals. One of our most recent favorites is to add cottage cheese, shredded carrots, green onion, dried dill, garlic, and pepper to a blender to make your own high protein homemade ranch. This will be perfect for dipping any sort of veggie or your favorite baked or grilled wings.
Snacks are life on game days! We hear it so often that people may be saving up their calories for a larger calorie meal in the evening or go overboard in the morning and not eat the rest of the day. We want to encourage you to eat consistently throughout the day to help with blood sugar regulation, as well as hunger and fullness cues. Planning to have higher protein snacks on hand in case a hunger cue hits is always a good idea. Some staples that we have are vital proteins collagen packets, chomps beef jerky, protein bars, and trail mix just depending on what we’re in the mood for.
Honey Mustard Breaded Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 c. Walnuts
- 1/2 c. Panko
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
- Salt and Pepper as desired
- 2 Tbsp. Milk
- 1 Tbsp. Honey
- 2 Tbsp. Avocado Mayo
- 3 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp. White Vinegar
- Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roughly chop walnuts.
On a plate combine walnuts, panko, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper as desired.
In a separate bowl combine the milk, honey, avocado mayo, Dijon mustard, white vinegar and paprika and mix.
Dip chicken in the wet mixture followed by the dry mixture.
On a parchment lined baking sheet place chicken.
Bake for 14-17 minutes or until internal temperature reads 155 degrees.
